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Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes, researchers reported that leadership training in EI and self-care can help combat professional burnout on both institutional and individual levels. T h e q u a l i t a t i v e r e s e a r c h s t u d y eva luated the susta inable ef fects of a coaching workshop for hea lthca re program directors that focused on an awareness, acknowledgement and action approach. Participants completed the MHS3 Emotional Quotient Inventory and the Maslach Burnout Inventory before the workshop, and filled out a follow-up questionnaire nine months later. During the workshop, par ticipants learned coaching techniques focused on improving self-awareness, self-care, self-compassion and boundary-setting. Introducing workshop participants to EI concepts and how the skills can be used to enhance EI and wellness in others led to changes in attitudes and behaviors among the directors regarding a perceived ability to guide, train and lead others. The researchers found that increasing leadership awareness of burnout factors and introducing them to practical appli- cations to address it helped workshop pa r ticipa nts experience subjectively effective and sustainable improvements in physician EI and wellness over the nine-month follow-up period. SOOTHING PATIENT SUFFERING In an essay published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Un iver sit y of R o che s t er profe s sor Ronald M. Epstein, MD, and University of Washing ton oncologist Anthony L. Back, MD, coauthored an essay comment- ing on their findings following a review of literature on how physicians address patient suffering. The authors wrote that though suffering is pervasive in the medical profession, they found few articles on the subject in medical literature, and almost none directed at practicing clinicians. The authors asserted that physicians could have a pivotal role in alleviating suffering if they change how they respond to patients, yet professional training in this area is sorely lacking. Drs. Epstein and Back suggest that physicians can better address patient suffering by adopting two clinical approaches known as "turning toward" and "refocusing and reclaiming." + Turning toward involves directly asking patients to describe their experi- ence of suffering through questions such as "What's the worst part of this for you?" and then attentively listening to and closely observing the patients' responses. By recognizing that diag- nosis and treatment can address only a portion of human suffering, physicians can become more emotionally avail- able and engaged, expressing comfort and caring through an authentically compassionate bedside manner. + Refocusing and reclaiming involves helping patients come to terms with illness and reconnecting with what is important and meaningful in their lives. By helping patients deal with the pain, difficult choices and uncertainty often inherent in illness and associ- ated medical care, clinicians can guide patients toward greater equanimity and acceptance. In addition, by confronting their own discomfort with suffering in a head-on manner, the authors assert, physicians can find a deeper sense of purpose and meaning in their own work. Taken together, this body of research suggests that, when it comes to medicine, softness and strength — that is, emotional and intellectual acumen — may accurately be described as two sides of the same currency, obtaining benefits for physician and patient alike. n Heart Over Head A RECENT STUDY by researchers from Case Western Reserve University's School of Dental Medicine and Weatherhead School of Management found that emotional intelligence (EI) has a greater influence on dentist/ patient relationships than dentist IQ. The study, published in the Journal of Dental Education, explored the relationship between emotional intelligence and clinical performance in dental school. The study arose out of discussions among healthcare educators about whether EI had any connection to success in clinical practice and if EI should be considered alongside academic and perceptual ability test scores in the dental school admissions process. While dental student IQ was widely acknowledged as a predictor of success in academic endeavors, educators found it did not accurately predict how well students performed in clinical settings. In the study, preceptors provided clinical guidance and evaluated students' EI competencies in four areas: (1) self-awareness of emotions, (2) self-management skills, such as adaptability, conscientiousness and initiative, (3) social-awareness and (4) relationship management. The researchers found that high EI scores correlated with outstanding clinical performance. In particular, self-management skills were significant predictors of clinical grades. The researchers concluded that EI may predict clinical performance and may have an effect on student development in dental school. M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S M i D - P E N N ■ 2 0 2 0 1 5

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